CLEARWATER, Fla. – It may have been labeled as a friendly, but there was hardly any love lost between the New York Red Bulls and Philadelphia Union on Wednesday night.
- TICKETS: Red Bulls Home Opener vs. Toronto FC, Sunday March 6
In the team’s final friendly against MLS competition, New York fought their Eastern Conference foes to a 0-0 draw in what was a spirited affair at the Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex. The Red Bulls now have just one friendly remaining before the start of the 2016 MLS season on March 6.
In the lead up to the match, head coach Jesse Marsch noted that any matchup with the Union typically has a bit more edge to it, even in the preseason. His assessment turned out to be spot on, as the Union came out with some physical play from the opening whistle. In the first half of the match alone, the Union racked up five bookings in an attempt to unsettle the Red Bulls. The final booking of the half resulted in a sending off, as Ilsinho’s second yellow of the match earned the newly signed Brazilian an early trip to the showers.
RED BULLS RADIO POST-GAME REACTION
“We have players that play hard,” Marsch said. “They try to get after the game, they make it difficult for the other team, and it frustrates teams at times. That draws out emotion. But in all these moments, it’s really important for our team to stay focused on what we’re trying to accomplish, our game plan, our approach, and I thought that part was really good tonight.”
Playing the second half with a man advantage, the Red Bulls were looking strike and take the lead, but Union goalkeeper John McCarthy did well to step each Red Bulls foray into the attacking third.
Over the course of the match, the Red Bulls featured several different looks with their personnel in each area of the field. Mike Grella and Gonzalo Veron paired in the attack in the first stanza, with Bradley Wright-Phillips partnering Anatole Abang in the second half. Meanwhile, the backline saw the likes of Ronald Zubar, Gideon Baah, Karl Ouimette, and Zach Carroll share minutes in what was an impressive defensive performance collectively.
“We had one agenda tonight, to not concede any goals,” Baah told NewYorkRedBulls.com. “With me as a defender—and all those guys in the backline—we did our job really well not to concede.
“I think it was good overall. We came to play very quick, very fast. When the opponent was coming at us, we were willing to meet the fight. It was a pretty intense match, especially in the first half. Generally, it was a very good game. I really enjoyed it.”
With the home opener less than two weeks away, there are precious few tune ups remaining before the matches start to matter. And while Wednesday’s match wasn’t a perfect performance, there is reason to be optimistic about the prospects of the upcoming 2016 season.
“The opponent was good and in the first 45 minutes I thought we did some good stuff,” goalkeeper Luis Robles said. “In the second 45 minutes, we got the young guys an opportunity to go up against some of their starters. I felt they made a good statement.”
